Job summary
We are seeking a Consultant Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to continue to lead and develop our adult acute inpatient psychological services based at Hopewood Park in Ryhope, Sunderland, including three acute wards (two 18 bed male wards: Shoredrift and Springrise, an 18 bed female ward: Longview and an 18 bed mixed gender Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)).
There is a strong network of adult inpatient psychologists in the Trust and a Personality and Complex Trauma clinical network. There is strong locality based professional leadership who works within a collective leadership team with other professional and operational Associate Directors (AD). As a consultant grade member of the team, you will work closely with the AD for psychological services and the other Consultant Grade Psychologists at Hopewood Park to support the strategic development of psychological services and trauma-informed care.
The services are very proud of their commitment to continually strive to improve the quality of the care provided to service users and carers. We are keen to appoint someone who is passionate about innovating services whilst delivering the highest quality, compassionate, trauma-informed person centred care possible, as well as supporting the wider MDTs and profession.
Main duties of the job
The NHS is in a period of great change and transformation. You will play a key role in shaping our acute inpatient services by leading on the development of the range of psychological services available to support the admission, treatment and safe discharge of service-users as part of a MDT.
A key role is providing leadership in trauma informed care and approaches and neuropsychological assessment and supervision across the site is also a key element of the role, as well as providing expertise in assessment (including risk assessment), therapeutic interventions and consultation to the most complex cases on the wards.
Prior forensic experience and/or knowledge of leading the HCR-20 assessment would be advantageous as well as experience of working with autistic people and people with learning disabilities.
Staff training and reflective practice are also key components of the role.
Professional leadership is a significant element of the post and you will lead a team of one part time 8c Consultant Clinical Psychologist (based on PICU) and 1.5 8a Senior Psychologists/psychological therapists; there are also two full time Higher Assistant Psychologists that are usually supervised by the other psychological services staff in the service.
Clinical research and audit is encouraged.
You will lead on recruiting to vacant psychology and therapy posts within the specialism.
This is an exciting opportunity to take on a key clinical leadership role in the speciality and the Trust.
About us
We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.
For more information about working for us, please click on this link that tells you about our organisation, its values and the benefits of working with us:
Careers and training - Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (cntw.nhs.uk)
Job description
Job responsibilities
A detailed job description and main responsibilities for the role are in the attached documents.
We are inviting applications from experienced Clinical and Counselling Psychologists who fulfil the essential criteria in the person specification and have significant experience in the adult speciality, including inpatient experience.
It is essential that the candidate has significant expertise in assessment, particularly risk assessment and is confident in developing risk management plans and taking decisions with the clinical team about safety during admission and discharge. Knowledge and confident leadership using trauma informed care and approaches, including suitable therapeutic interventions is also required. Neuropsychological experience, particularly in a mental health setting is important, including the supervision of others completing neuropsychological assessments as this is a key role of the postholder. They should also be competent and confident working with individuals across the life cycle with complex trauma and a broad range of presenting difficulties.
Advertising date : 21st December2023
Closing date : 14th January 2024
We welcome your application.
Job description
Job responsibilities
A detailed job description and main responsibilities for the role are in the attached documents.
We are inviting applications from experienced Clinical and Counselling Psychologists who fulfil the essential criteria in the person specification and have significant experience in the adult speciality, including inpatient experience.
It is essential that the candidate has significant expertise in assessment, particularly risk assessment and is confident in developing risk management plans and taking decisions with the clinical team about safety during admission and discharge. Knowledge and confident leadership using trauma informed care and approaches, including suitable therapeutic interventions is also required. Neuropsychological experience, particularly in a mental health setting is important, including the supervision of others completing neuropsychological assessments as this is a key role of the postholder. They should also be competent and confident working with individuals across the life cycle with complex trauma and a broad range of presenting difficulties.
Advertising date : 21st December2023
Closing date : 14th January 2024
We welcome your application.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and Neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the HCPC and British Psychological Society.
- HCPC registered practitioner psychologist
Desirable
- Qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- Non-medical approved clinician
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Substantial post qualification experience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, and inpatient settings.
- Substantial further specialist training and experience, equivalent to at least 6 years' experience, including being able to demonstrate further specialist training and experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a clinical / counselling psychologist over a minimum of 18 months or an alternative agreed by the Psychological Services Professional Lead.
- Substantial post qualification experience of delivering evidence based psychological therapy training to a range of professional groups.
- Substantial experience of providing clinical supervision.
- Experience of contributing to strategic clinical or organisational development and/or service development or service redesign.
- Specialist knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups relevant to the community pathway, e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnosis, people with additional
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex multivariable data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
Desirable
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of leading R&D programmes.
- Experience of professional management.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework
- Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books
Skills and Competencies
Essential
- Specialist skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management.
- Specialist skills in evidence based psychological interventions and in adapting interventions to individual complex needs and complex systems , including people with disabilities.
- Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinical sensitive information to clients, their family, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Specialist teaching & training skills.
- Specialist skills in providing clinical supervision and consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Skills in strategic/organisational work and service development / redesign.
Skills and Competencies
Essential
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
- Substantial skills in research and/or audit
- Formal training in clinical supervision of trainee clinical psychologists and other staff.
- Skills in managing emotional impact of dealing with highly emotive and distressing situations through self-management and use of the clinical supervision process
Role/Team specific requirements
Essential
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multimedia materials for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure of highly emotive behaviour.
Role/Team specific requirements
Essential
- Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours.
- Ability to articulate and interpret clearly the role of psychological services and the profession of clinical and counselling psychology based upon a good understanding of the framework of government and national professional policy.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and Neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the HCPC and British Psychological Society.
- HCPC registered practitioner psychologist
Desirable
- Qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- Non-medical approved clinician
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Substantial post qualification experience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, and inpatient settings.
- Substantial further specialist training and experience, equivalent to at least 6 years' experience, including being able to demonstrate further specialist training and experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a clinical / counselling psychologist over a minimum of 18 months or an alternative agreed by the Psychological Services Professional Lead.
- Substantial post qualification experience of delivering evidence based psychological therapy training to a range of professional groups.
- Substantial experience of providing clinical supervision.
- Experience of contributing to strategic clinical or organisational development and/or service development or service redesign.
- Specialist knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups relevant to the community pathway, e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnosis, people with additional
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex multivariable data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
Desirable
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of leading R&D programmes.
- Experience of professional management.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework
- Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books
Skills and Competencies
Essential
- Specialist skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management.
- Specialist skills in evidence based psychological interventions and in adapting interventions to individual complex needs and complex systems , including people with disabilities.
- Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinical sensitive information to clients, their family, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Specialist teaching & training skills.
- Specialist skills in providing clinical supervision and consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Skills in strategic/organisational work and service development / redesign.
Skills and Competencies
Essential
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
- Substantial skills in research and/or audit
- Formal training in clinical supervision of trainee clinical psychologists and other staff.
- Skills in managing emotional impact of dealing with highly emotive and distressing situations through self-management and use of the clinical supervision process
Role/Team specific requirements
Essential
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multimedia materials for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure of highly emotive behaviour.
Role/Team specific requirements
Essential
- Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours.
- Ability to articulate and interpret clearly the role of psychological services and the profession of clinical and counselling psychology based upon a good understanding of the framework of government and national professional policy.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
